fretting lube

Any thoughts on finger ease or some other sort of lubricant to make fretting quicker and smoother. my buddy reccomends "Finger Ease"

Hey froggy62,
I used fast fret for a few years, and finger ease until most music stores quit stocking both of them. I haven't used anything for over ten years now, just greasy fingers after dinner, lol.

Seriously though, greasing your strings may not be the answer. It depends on what you play, if you bend strings you don't want to lube your strings. If you're just playing rhythm, you should be fine though.

As for what to use, I always liked fast fret. Biggest reason is, I don't like spraying the fretboard with anything. Cover your ears when you're cleaning those strings though, especially the 1st, and the 2nd one.

Fast Fret for me, too. Don't use it much any more, though. Kept forgetting and lost the habit.

Originally Posted by: froggy62Any thoughts on finger ease or some other sort of lubricant to make fretting quicker and smoother. my buddy reccomends "Finger Ease"

I was introduced to Finger Ease in the early 70's. I've used it off and on since. I have also tried the Fast Fret. They both have advantages and what you use is really up to what you like.

Fast Fret didn't impress me. It is dry and sometimes I wonder if it was even there right after an application. It didn't improve sliding up or down the fretboard much at least for me.

Myself I perfer Finger Ease. I spray it all the way up and down the fretboard in generous amounts, dripping even. I spray the back of the neck also. I will let it set for a moment then wipe 90% of it off. It cleans things up pretty good and makes the fretboard fast.

I like the way the Finger Ease treats the wood in the fretboard. The rosewood or whatever needs to be kept moist do it will not dry up and crack over time.

CAUTION: Try not to get the finger ease on your fingers. It tends to soften your finger tips allowing the strings to damage or remove part of your hard earned calised areas. Simply washing your hands can cause this too; but, the oil in finger ease lingers longer where your finger dry out pretty fast with soap and water. But be careful with anything like an oil or lotion that is made to soften your skin including light oils like finger ease. 3n1 oil is a canidate, too.

I don't know what all is on the market today to clean or treat your strings. I would like to hear about other products people has used.